Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: And I'm back! This chapter is now all beta'd and pretty thanks to Vincent :] Only a handful of chapters left, I'm afraid. With the way the story is going at this particular moment, it'll be all wrapped up within the next few weeks. A sad thought, yes, but I could really use that break right now, lol.

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter and Jessica's Guide aren't mine. If they were, I would be rich and could buy myself other ways to bide my time.

Enjoy!

-

I See You

"I'm standing across from you
And dreaming of the things I do
I don't speak, you don't know me at all

Truth be told
My problems solved
You mean the world to be but you'll never know
You could be cruel to me
While we're risking the way that I see you
That I see you
That I see

Could it be you fell for me?
And any possible similarity
If it's all, how would I know?
You never knew me at all but I see you
But I see you"
- Mika (I See You)

It took us an hour to say our goodbyes. We left the first of January, just after I caught a few hours sleep preceding the New Year's party Molly insisted on throwing. It was a night filled with Fred and George's infamous fireworks, animate conversation, and enough firewhisky to drown a small army. Of course, Molly wouldn't let us near the stuff, but Ron and I managed to sneak a few shots.

Hermione had taken well to the Weasleys, something I am very relieved by. I don't think I could have handled it if they had all been at each other's necks. Fate must have been on my side. But, then again, it also had a way of biting me in the arse whenever something good happened. In order for Hermione to get along with my adoptive family, the balance had to be restored by making something bad happen. Of course, I still hadn't sorted out if this bad thing was actually bad, per se, but it felt like it.

Hermione had gotten to me. She had weaseled her way first into my thoughts, then my subconscious, then, most importantly, my heart. There wasn't a moment I wasn't thinking of her; how she was, if she was okay, where she was, etcetera. It was exhausting, but at the same time, filled me with something that hadn't been there before. Prior to meeting Hermione, I had never had cause to feel like this in any way. She had opened my eyes to a part of me that I hadn't known existed. I could not name it for the life of me but it was still there.

Instead of pondering over this newfound set of feelings, I just let them guide me. At first, I didn't think much of it. They hadn't led me wrong yet, right? Well, that was until Christmas when I felt the need to pull her into the other room just for a simple hug. But that's not the only thing I wanted. With her leaning against the wall and my arm balancing me above her, I was a second away from leaning in and capturing her unsuspecting lips with my own. There was nothing holding me back from doing just that, but then she was called away. I had half a mind to tell her to ignore her parent's early arrival and stay with me, a thought I immediately discarded. I couldn't hold her back from her blood relatives. I would never forgive myself.

The week preceding Christmas was one that took much more strength than I realized I needed to use. Mental stability was hard to keep up, especially when my thoughts were always on the brink of drifting. And it only got worse when I was near her. Just her presence was enough to send me into a tailspin. Oh, if only she knew the effect she was having on me. To think that five months ago I hadn't even known she existed was a marvel to me. But it also provided me with a reproachful mindset to this change in demeanor. Hermione was still practically a stranger compared to others I called my friends. How is it she managed to make me feel like this towards her in a matter of months?

Then I knew. Our history together was longer than I remembered sometimes. Although we had not been fully aware, we had been close as infants, and that time could very well have an influence on our behavior towards each other whether subconsciously or not. And that train of thought led to the idea that maybe our bond had something to do with it. I spent a good day in the library researching the history of engagement and marriage bonds and came up with nothing but what I already knew about them. They were used for magical purposes that had nothing to do with the mind and only when the relationship was broken or consummated could the bond be severed. It was silly to think the bond we had to each other was influencing my mind. It was worth looking into, though it served no real results.

When we arrived back at the Granger's estate, we were both greeted with open arms. Jane embraced her daughter tightly and did the same to me. Edward stood and smiled before doing the same to his daughter and giving me a warm pat on the back. We both excused ourselves upstairs to unpack soon after the exchanges. I was in the middle of putting away my trousers when a thought occurred to me: I still didn't know Hermione's plan for Malfoy. She had said she would take care of him but did not specify what that meant. She may not have given it any thought either, which wouldn't do at all.

I dropped what I was doing and walked to her room. Her door was shut and I knocked lightly. I heard her soft voice call from within, "Come in."

I twisted the knob and let myself inside. The contents of her bag had been laid out on her bed in neat piles, all of which were perfectly parted and folded. I let a small smile work its way onto my face.

She turned and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Harry?"

I met her eyes. "I was wondering if I might have a word."

She hesitated before nodding stiffly. I wasn't sure if she could sense my concerned mindset or not, but in case she didn't catch on right away, I waved my wand hand and willed the door shut. I didn't want her parents overhearing something that had the potential to hurt their daughter. I then mumbled a simple sound amplifying charm for the hallway. That way, if they came to check on us, I would be alerted and would have time to take the proper measures to keep them as uninformed as possible for the time being.

"I'm guessing this isn't just a small chat." She said.

I shook my head. "Afraid not."

She sighed and set down the shirt she had been holding. Motioning to the chair over by the window, she took up a seat on the one clear patch of her bed. I padded over to the familiar seat and turned it to face her. She looked nervous.

"Is this about Draco?" She asked quietly.

She was more observant that I thought. "Yes. I wanted to know what your plan was with him."

"Why?" She asked. "He's my problem now. I have to be the one to solve it."

"You never have to do anything alone." I told her. "I just want to make sure that whatever you're planning is safe."

"The things I plan to do to him have many synonyms, but none are too pleasant."

I chucked. "I don't blame you. I'm just taking precautions. Remember, he has a lifetime's worth of magical experience and you're still learning."

"I know." She said with a resigned tone. "There are so many things I want to do to him, but I know none of them will end well. I made a promise to myself to resolve things the Muggle way. At least if I do that he won't be as suspicious, where as if I had a foot-long axe held behind my back he may be tipped off and apparate away."

"That would be a sight." I said with a laugh. "So you're planning on just talking to him about it?"

"Partly," She said, her voice changing to one much more mischievous than I was used to hearing. "I'm not just book smart. I can get people to tell me things. When I was eight, I coerced Maddie Benson into telling me she was the one who had put rotten cheese into my cubby using just my brain."

"Impressive." I said lightly. "But this isn't about rotten cheese. This is about someone trying to lure you into breaking our bond for a very powerful wizard."

"I'm not eight anymore, either." She said with a sly smile.

I smiled back at her. "Touché."

"So you think it's a good idea?"

"I think it's worth a shot. Draco wouldn't expect a mental attack, especially if he still thinks he has you under his spell, no pun intended."

She nodded, looking down at her hands which were intertwined atop her lap. "I know I can do it. I just need some time to gather what I'm going to say."

"Understandable. Although I think I already know the answer, I'm going to ask as a precaution: Do you want any backup?"

"No." She said curtly. "This is something I have to do by myself. If Voldemort wanted to kill me, he would have done so already, so I won't be in too much danger."

"Think about the Death Eater attack a few weeks back." I replied. "He was taking you somewhere. Draco may try that once he finds out that you're onto him."

"I'll have him knocked out by then." She said noncommittally.

"You sure?" I asked. "I hate to admit it, but he's improved in battle strategy since I've last seen him. He may already be one step ahead."

"I'll be fine." She said. "This could be the perfect test to see if I really can handle myself with a wand at my disposal. If it doesn't work out, I can send a signal to you or something."

"You mean like a tracking spell?"

"Something like that." She agreed. "I know you won't let me go completely unguarded, so why don't you use a tracking spell on me so you know if I'm in danger or not?"

"I can try." I admitted. "But it's still risky."

"You've taken plenty of risks yourself." She countered, using what she knew of my coma last year against me. "Now it's my turn to use the strengths I possess to get something done."

She had a point. But it was a plan with many flaws. What if she lost her will to speak out of nerves? What if Draco disarmed her before she got the chance to knock him out? Would she even remember the spell? All these questions and many more were flowing in and out of my mind along with the images of an unconscious Hermione thrown over Malfoy's shoulder and being apparated to an unknown Death Eater rendezvous point. On the other hand, she had the capability to perform this mission and come back unscathed, but not the experience to make it a definite. It was too much too risky.

The words were out of my mouth before I could take them back. "Okay."

A wide grin spread across her face. My stomach dropped to the floor. "Great! I'll do it tomorrow night, then. Before I leave, you can put the spell on me and I'll be off to kick the lying prick's hindquarters into next year."

I smiled weakly. "Sounds like a plan."

"I'll meet you tomorrow night around seven in your loft, then?"

"Sure."

"Great. I'll call Drake - I mean, Draco - now to set the date." I nodded and turned to leave. Her voice speaking up again stopped me in my tracks. "Oh, and Harry?"

"Yes?" I asked, turning back around to look at her.

"Thank you for letting me do this."

"No problem."

She smiled and I spun around once more to exit. I kept my ears alert in case she had something else to add. She remained silent and I walked down the hall to my room. My head felt like it was going to explode and don't even get me started on the constrictions in my chest. Why had I agreed to that? Old me would never have agreed to let her go out on her own. She had only been practicing magic for five months for Merlin's sake! It was practically a suicide mission!

But the look of elated joy on her face…

No.

I couldn't let her do this on her own. Unfortunately, I didn't have the heart to go back into her room and call the whole thing off. Plus, it wasn't a half bad idea to begin with. To get rid of Draco Malfoy for good was a marvelous prospect indeed. But I had to do something in order to ensure she would not be harmed. The tracking spell would provide some amount of safety, yes, but not enough to ease my fears. I thought back on my offer to go with her. She had turned it down immediately, of course, but that didn't mean it wasn't a good idea to go against her wishes. It would be for her own good. She meant too much to me to be at risk for a kidnapping. I could easily throw on my invisibility cloak and follow them to wherever Hermione chose to hold their "date."

It was settled. Tomorrow night I would be at hand when Hermione kicked Draco Malfoy to the curb. The idea was enough to fill me with capricious excitement.

~*~

Dark began to settle onto the twilight horizon. In less than five minutes, Hermione would arrive up here before Malfoy picked her up for their late night walk in the park. According to her, he had been a bit skeptical about a walk in the middle of winter, but he eventually agreed under the prospect of keeping Hermione warm. The thought was enough to make me sick. In my mind, we couldn't get rid of him fast enough.

I had my invisibility cloak shrunk in a pocket of my jeans so as not to alert Hermione to my plans. My coat was hung at its regular place atop one of the kitchen chairs, waiting to be thrown on at a moment's notice. In other words: All was prepared. The only thing left was to perform the charm on Hermione and wish her luck, which should be executed any moment.

A knocking noise came from the door. "Harry?"

Let the plan commence.

I walked over to the door and opened it for Hermione. She was dressed warmly in her wool jacket, matching gloves, a striped scarf, and knit hat. Her cheeks were already rosy from the chilled air and I let her inside without a moment's pause.

When I closed the door, she was standing in the middle of the loft, her hands glued to her sides. "Let's get this over with, then."

I nodded and walked over to her. Pulling my wand out of my back pocket, I murmured the tracking charm while waving it around the top of her head. I saw her shiver with the accompanied cool feeling of the spell. Within a few seconds, I was finished and she looked at me with an appreciative smile.

"Thank you, Harry."

"You're welcome." I replied, taking a step back. "Do you have your wand?"

She nodded and patted the front of her coat where I assumed she tucked the wand in one of the underlined pockets. I took in her appearance and saw that she had an air of confidence about her; a good trait to hold when you are about to go into a risky mission. If she was scared in any way, shape, or form, I could not see it.

Acting the part, I closed the distance between us and enveloped her into a warm embrace. Pulling back my head slightly, I whispered in her ear, "Be safe."

She backed out of my arms and gave me a small smile that made my chest tighten. "I will."

I watched her exit with a forced look of worry. I had no need to be when I knew that in a moment, I would be on her tail. I counted to thirty after the door shut and then went over to grab my coat and put it on. I also had a pair of gloves on the table just in case and judging by the pink Hermione had on her cheeks when she entered, I would need them. I slipped them onto my hands and peeked out the window to see Draco pulling up in a posh-looking black car. I hadn't known he had learned to drive whilst he had been here. He had really gone all out.

Hermione was waiting on the porch and I saw her begin to make her way over to the car. I reached into my pocket with my gloved hand and pulled out the shrunken invisibility cloak that was no bigger than a thin tissue. I recited the countercharm and it popped back to its regular size. I pulled it on and made a beeline for the door, being careful to pull it open and shut quietly. I raced down the steps with muted agility, something I had picked up when training with Moody. I could hear his voice in my head now when I reached the back of Malfoy's car - "Constant vigilance!"

"Adhaerio!" I whispered the strong sticking charm and aimed at my left hand, feet, and cloak as I grabbed onto the curved back of the car.

I had made it just in time, for the car reared to life as soon as I was secure. It made a right out of the driveway and then remained straight as we passed many large houses and trees. The ride there was quick, the park Hermione chose being only a few miles away. When the car made a sharp left, my body was thrown a bit to the side, but remained stuck to the hard metal of the moving automobile. We veered into onto a short dirt road cleared of snow that turned into a large patch of parking spots. Malfoy turned into one in the corner and the car halted. I quickly whispered the countercharm to my attached limbs and cloak and touched my feet soundlessly to the gravel. It still made a crunching noise and I knew that if I was going to make any progress, I had to keep completely silent. I leant down and pointed my wand at my feet.

"Silencio Vestigium." I whispered.

To test out the charm, I moved my right foot along the dirt in a smooth motion. No noise emitted. I smiled to myself and stood up, pocketing my wand. I turned around and waited for Hermione and Malfoy to get out of the car. They did after a moment for what I hoped to be innocent chatter. They rounded to the front of the car and I walked a few feet behind them. I stopped short when I realized they weren't yet going anywhere.

"Why exactly did you want to come here?" Malfoy asked curiously.

"It's my favorite place to just come and be alone." Hermione said innocently.

"Ah. So you wanted to be alone with me."

I almost groaned aloud. Hermione saved me from giving myself away by responding softly. "Well, I haven't seen you since the break started. I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too." He then leaned in for a kiss. I saw the look of disgust on Hermione's face as their lips met briefly, which reassured me somewhat.

"Come." She said after he pulled away. "I want to show you my favorite part of the park."

"Okay."

He was putty in her hands. She began to walk forward and he hurried to catch up. I had to jog in order to keep a steady five foot distance from the pair. Halfway through the journey, Malfoy grabbed Hermione's hand. She turned her head over to him and he smiled. She returned the gesture and went back to leading the three of us to her intended destination.

We followed a winding path and then veered off into a patch of woods that was unmarked by any human-made tracks. I trusted Hermione's judgment, but this place was starting to give me the creeps. The park at night reminded me eerily of the Forbidden Forrest at Hogwarts - a place filled with dark and dangerous creatures, true to its given name. No one wanted to go in there unless absolutely necessary. Thankfully, I saw a clearing ahead and was relieved when we stopped. The place was similar to the clearing I had flown us to for Hermione's flying lesson, but it was much smaller and had many more trees. Above us, the branches of the taller trees bent to create a dome of sorts that in the spring, leaves would bloom and shield the secluded place. It was the perfect cover if one wanted to get away and block out the rest of the world.

"Is this it?" Malfoy asked oddly, letting go of Hermione's hand and walking around the small perimeter. I had to take a few steps back to keep him from running into me.

"Yeah." She answered. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It's… dead." Malfoy said, touching one of the snow-covered branches and bending it slightly.

"Not dead, just momentarily hibernating." Hermione corrected. "If it weren't for the cold, this would be the perfect place to live."

"Out here?" He asked in astonishment. I recognized the tone instantly. Sure enough, he stuck his nose up in the air and made a quick sweep of the clearing with his eyes. "What about a house?"

She shrugged. "Don't need one. The trees would cover you from any rain."

"Food?"

"There are plenty of berries and mushrooms around to survive well enough."

"And how would you keep warm? Sew leaves together to make a blanket?" He said this mockingly and I sneered from beneath the cloak.

Hermione caught his tone and narrowed her eyes. "Haven't you ever made a fire out of sticks and rocks before?"

"Sticks and rocks?" He asked. "No need to."

"Have you even cooked your own meal before?"

"No." He said.

"Not once?" She asked suspiciously.

"Maybe a box of noodles back home, but that's about it."

The lie was as slick as grease. The Draco Malfoy I knew had never lifted a finger in his own home. He had house elves and servants do that for him. I doubted he ever made his own bed, let alone a sandwich. He must have caught onto his reaction and was trying to cover up his tracks.

"I'm not much of a cook myself, either." Hermione said, pretending to fall for his ploy.

"At least I'm not alone on that front." He said with a hint of relief in his voice.

"That you are not." She said. "So how has your break been? Did you go back to your old town?"

"Yes." He said slowly. "I visited with a few old friends."

"From your old school?" She prompted.

He nodded. "I try to keep in touch."

"You never told me much about your old school." She continued, knotting her hands behind her back and beginning to walk around the clearing, giving her the look of a curious girlfriend.

He shrugged. "There's not much to say."

"But I'm curious." She said in a childlike voice. "It seems so interesting - a boarding school in Scotland."

"It was very boring." He said tightly.

"Oh come on." She said with a wine. "I've never been outside London. At least tell me what it looked like."

He was silent for a moment. I almost thought he wasn't going to tell her, but then a small smile appeared on his pale lips. "I'll humor you, then. It was fairly large, more like a castle, really. The students lived in separate dormitories throughout the building. The teachers weren't very good, all too absorbed in their own personal dramas to teach us anything worthwhile. There, you happy?"

"For now." She said mischievously. "What about sports? Did you play any?"

"For recreation mostly. No one in the school was good enough to play me in anything more than chess."

I gritted my teeth at the false statement. I had, on multiple occasions, showed him up in Quidditch, yet he refused to admit I was better than he was. There must be something wrong with his head. Perhaps it was stuck up his ass with the rest of his talents.

"You know, I was reading about sports the other day." Hermione said breezily. "I ended up in the mythological section and was reading all about crazy sports played throughout history, or, at least, rumored ones."

He looked interested. "Such as?"

"Oh, you know, old football with severed human heads, jousting bare naked atop goats… and then this really odd sport with hoops and flying that made absolutely no sense at all."

"Oh?"

She crossed her hands around her chest. "Players would ride around on flying brooms and shoot balls through the air. It was rumored to be played with sorcerers or something. I think it was called Quidditch."

"Q-Quidditch?" His face had become pale white.

"Yes." She turned around to face him and was holding her wand in her right hand. "Quidditch."

"Her-"

"Pertrificus Totalus!" She shouted.

The curse hit him and he dropped to the ground, stiff as a board. She smirked and walked over to him. I wanted to shout in excitement. I had waited ages for someone to knock him off his feet. I'm glad that someone was Hermione.

She walked over to him and craned her head to the side. He looked up at her with an amused expression. "Finally figure it out, did you?"

"Did you really think you could fool me forever?" She answered with a question.

"I did long enough." He said. "You were infatuated from the moment you met me."

She discarded his comment. "It was all a lie. All of it was so your precious master could steal the bond Harry and I share for his own use!"

"Of course it was. Did you really think I would ever fall for you? Hell, even Potter has trouble putting up with you. You're nothing but a shrill, filthy, Mudblood."

With a face as hard as stone, Hermione leveled a kick to his side, causing him to cry out in pain. "Don't ever call me that."

"Feisty." He said coolly.

"Your act is done, Malfoy. After tonight, you can crawl back to Voldemort, knowing you failed him. The bond will remain to the Order and there's nothing you can do about it."

"You seem so sure."

"Of course I'm sure. I'm not the hopelessly deranged girl you met last year. I'm a witch and I know everything about the bond performed on Harry and I all those years ago. Don't play me for a fool."

He smirked and I knew something was off. Something in the way he began to draw out his next words alerted me. "Obviously you have been terribly misinformed."

"Don't start with your mind games again, Draco." Hermione warned sternly. "I've had enough of them to last a lifetime."

He chuckled deep in his throat. I saw a flicker of something just behind Hermione and stiffened. "Did you really think the Dark Lord would only have one side of the plan?"

"What are you-?"

"HERMIONE, BEHIND YOU!" I bellowed, throwing my cloak off me.

Thankfully, instead of looking at me after my outburst, she listened and turned around just in time to see the Death Eater rush out of the bushes. She raised her wand quickly. "Stupefy!"

I looked around for another flicker of movement and saw one to my left. I turned and shot a stunner in that direction. I heard a satisfying thump a moment later and continued my scan of the perimeter. If there was anyone else here, they weren't making any moves to attack. I lowered my wand and walked over to Hermione, who was looking down at the comatose body of the Death Eater she had knocked out.

"Good shot." I said.

She turned to glare at me. Before she could speak, however, Malfoy opened his fat mouth.

"Ah, Potty has come to save the day!"

"Shove off, Malfoy. You're the one paralyzed on the ground."

That shut him up.

The same did not go for Hermione.

"What the hell are you doing here, Harry?" She shouted, her anger bursting like a ripe volcano.

"Protecting you for a swarm of Death Eaters," I responded evenly.

She spoke through clenched teeth. "You said I was capable of doing this on my own."

"I never said that." I corrected. "I agreed to let you go out alone."

"Then why are you here?!"

"Because I wanted to make sure you were alright!" I said angrily. "I thought you would be at least a little bit appreciative about me saving your life."

"Well I'm not." She said. "I was in control of the situation."

"Oh really?" I asked, motioning to the two unconscious Death Eaters without looking at them.

She waved a hand. "Minor inconveniences."

"Hermione." I said severely. "You know as well as I do that if I hadn't been here, they would have tried to kidnap you like the first time."

"Tried being the operative word."

"Tried and succeeded." I corrected. "You may be a great spell caster, Hermione, but you don't have enough experience to take on two highly trained Death Eaters trying to kidnap you."

"You never know. I could surprise you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you really believe that?"

She sighed heavily and didn't answer. I took that as enough to continue on. I turned around to look at Malfoy and saw that he was no longer there. My blood ran cold as I looked around us for any sign that he had been dragged off. Nothing. He just disappeared. I looked over in the direction of the Death Eater I had knocked unconscious to see him gone as well. I didn't even have to turn back around to know that the other one was missing. I swore under my breath.

"Harry." Hermione said behind me. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"What?" I asked as I turned. But I already knew the answer to the question. There, carved into the dirt, was a familiar scrawl embedded into the soil with red flames.

It's not over yet.

"What does that mean?" She asked in a shaky voice.

I walked over to her and put my arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me and I held her close. "It means we have make a call to the Order. Voldemort's up to something big and we need to find out what it is before he stops playing games and finds one of us."

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